Choosing a new product for your everyday routine can be hard. Picking a new piece of gym equipment feels like replacing a member of your team and finding the right fit is crucial to success.
A quality Bulgarian bag for calisthenics will keep you working out and moving forward with ease!
We’ve brought together some of the best Bulgarian bags so you can pick the next member of your team and start moving.
| Product Name | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
#1-Bulgarian Bag – Model Original, Genuine Leather, Made by Suples, Including The Instructional Video from The Inventor Coach Ivan Ivanov (Wrestling, Fitness, Crossfit) | – Genuine leather – Quality craftsmanship – Durable and long-lasting – Pre-filled weight | Check Price |
#2-DEWIN 5-25kg Fitness Bulgarian Power Bag, Body Training for Boxing Sand Bag Empty Sandbags | – Affordable – The smaller size makes it easier for smaller body types – Resistant to moisture | Check Price |
#3-Elite Sports Bulgarian Canvas Bag for Crossfit, Fitness Canvas | – The angle of handles and additional loop straps allows you to modify exercises easily – Canvas is more flexible than leather | Check Price |
#4-Wreck Bag Weight Bag for Fitness – Sand-Free Weight Bag with Handles | – Tube-design with thick handles – Not a fixed crescent shape like other Bulgarian bags – Great for outdoor use | Check Price |
#1-Bulgarian Bag – Model Original, Genuine Leather, Made by Suples, Including The Instructional Video from The Inventor Coach Ivan Ivanov (Wrestling, Fitness, Crossfit)
When you’re searching for a specific Bulgarian bag, you always want to find one that’s listed as being Suples.
If it’s not Suples, it’s not a true Bulgarian bag, and choosing the very best for your gym or home gym is essential to success.
Suples is the company that started around Coach Ivan Ivanov’s Bulgarian bag design and has remained a staple in the exercise world!
Each of these Bulgarian bags is handmade from high-quality genuine leather so the price may end up being a little bit higher.
You pay for what you get and what you get with this product is high-quality leather, quality engineering, and an additional training video.
The company also includes a 2-year warranty so you’ll be able to get your money back if you’re not completely satisfied!
Pros:
- Genuine leather
- Quality craftsmanship
- Durable and long-lasting
- Pre-filled weight
- Wide variety of weights designated by color-coded straps/handles
Cons:
- Can be more expensive
- Not very flexible
#2-DEWIN 5-25kg Fitness Bulgarian Power Bag, Body Training for Boxing Sand Bag Empty Sandbags
When buying for your gym or home gym, you want equipment that will last a long time and stand up to a beating.
This product offers up high-quality material that remains strong and durable through frequent uses.
The overall design leaves it lightweight and easy to store and use.
You can train both your upper and lower body with this Bulgarian bag and with the synthetic leather coating, it’s easy to clean and wipe down.
Interchangeable handles allow it to be used for a wide range of exercises and you’re able to fill it with your determined weight so it will be customized to your uses.
Pros:
- Affordable
- The smaller size makes it easier for smaller body types
- Synthetic, polyurethane material
- Resistant to moisture
- Smaller stitching and seals with no flaps so it’s less likely to chafe
Cons:
- Less durable than real leather
- Smaller size subtracts from the results of bigger Bulgarian bags
- The user has to fill it with weight
#3-Elite Sports Bulgarian Canvas Bag for Crossfit, Fitness Canvas
If you want something big that fills up space and gives you a workout, look no further!
This larger Bulgarian bag is built for a tough workout and will keep you hustling from start to finish. Made with canvas and fabric instead of leather, it’s tough while also still being flexible for use.
The angle of the handles gives it the ability to be modified for exercises and will help you achieve your goals no matter how out of the ordinary they may be!
It comes delivered to you unfilled so you can add and determine the exact amount of weight you’d like to use for your exercise.
Most reviewers recommend that a rubber mulch fill is used and it creates a Bulgarian bag that will push you to succeed.
Pros:
- The angle of handles and additional loop straps allows you to modify exercises easily
- Canvas is more flexible than leather
- Large Bulgarian bag
- Affordable
Cons:
- It may not be as durable as other products on the market
- The larger size may make it harder to use for anyone of a smaller stature
#4-Wreck Bag Weight Bag for Fitness – Sand-Free Weight Bag with Handles
When you’re working out, you want something that will be flexible not just for the workout but for the situation as well.
This bag can be used both indoors and outdoors and uses clean bead fill instead of sand to keep things tidy and provide adequate weight.
This bag also offers eight weight-ratings or sizes from 35-100 pounds!
All of the upper-level rating ships empty so they can be filled on site but the smaller ones come pre-filled so you can start working out right away.
Each bag can be easily emptied and hosed off to get it clean and ready for the next use.
Pros:
- Tube-design with thick handles
- Not a fixed crescent shape like other Bulgarian bags
- Fill is beading and not sand
- Smaller models come pre-filled
- Great for outdoor use
Cons:
- The texture of this bag can be rough on the skin; an additional silicone cover needed
- Can be expensive
- Handles are really broad
What is a Bulgarian bag?
This training equipment has been around since 2005 and was created to train athletes in a way that improves their explosive actions.
Any actions like pushing, twisting, balancing, pulling, and throwing can all be performed with the bag and improved.
The Bulgarian bag allows athletes and training participants to move in lots of different directions which frees them up from the traditional single direction weights.
Athletes can also tackle acceleration and deceleration of the bag which helps improve core strength, coordination, and mobility.
This type of training improves speed, agility, and endurance in the long run.
The bag has also been found to increase metabolic rates that are higher than simple weight training or cardiovascular activity.
Use of the bag increases excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC.
EPOC is the oxygen debt your body enters when exercise reaches a higher intensity. Your body then produces more oxygen and that in turn increases the metabolic rate which lasts after the activity is over.
The bag can also be used as a free weight which helps improve simple and dynamic movements and provides increased resistance.
You can use a Bulgarian bag as a full-body warm-up, superset routine, cardio, or to increase your grip strength. If you can dream it, a Bulgarian bag can make it happen!
Why use a Bulgarian bag?
The unique mix of kettlebell and sandbag makes the Bulgarian bag a great tool for anyone wanting to ramp up their training and take it to the next level.
On top of enhancing your workout routine, a Bulgarian bag won’t cost you an arm and a leg to put into your gym. There’s no need for special equipment or a whole other room in your house for your new Bulgarian bag either.
To help create more explosive movements and enhance the muscles that will get you there, a Bulgarian bag is a must-have for anyone wanting to take their workout to the next level.
It can be transitioned from a free-weight to a specified piece of equipment and will fit itself into any new workout routine.
Why are Bulgarian bags so light?
Utilizing a Bulgarian bag is half the battle when it comes to becoming a higher-performing athlete. If you simply put it around your neck and do squats or lunges, it’s going to get boring and be too light quickly.
Instead, the lighter aspect of a Bulgarian bag allows you to use it in unconventional ways.
By spinning the Bulgarian bag or pushing it to make your core stronger will help you realize which muscles you’re not working adequately and improve them.
The Bulgarian bag doesn’t have to be very heavy to be effective when doing exercises that differ from the norm.
No matter your fitness level or what sport you play, learning to use a Bulgarian bag effectively is a great way to improve yourself and make your life healthier.
You can use it to improve grip, core strength, coordination, and speed!
What kind of workout variations are available for a Bulgarian bag?
A Bulgarian bag is one of the most versatile pieces of gym equipment around!
Without the constraints of single weights or other types of stationary gym equipment, the Bulgarian bag allows you to move, grow, and change with your fitness routine.
The Bulgarian bag has long been used for lower body training including use during squats, lunges, and swings. Each of these allows you to add resistance to a typical exercise and thus make it more challenging for your next gym routine.
Upper body training is traditionally the place for dumbbells and stationary weight sets. But all of these typical exercises can be used with a Bulgarian bag including presses, rows, and cleans!
The different handles available on the bag make it available to be used in a wide range of ways.
Core work can be very boring so adding in a Bulgarian bag mixes up the routine and makes it new and exciting again.
Core workouts with a Bulgarian bag include weighted sit-ups, side bends, and Russian twists. All of these are made new when adding the Bulgarian bag and its additional weight.
Bulgarian bags grow and change with you as you go through your workout. You can use them as a stand-alone training tool as well which gives you a new workout in no time!
There is any number of different weights and styles which allow you to mix up your routine each time you hit a plateau.
Suples Bulgarian Bags
The Bulgarian bag began with humble origins and was inspired by shepherds carrying livestock over their shoulders around the countryside.
Coach Ivanov wanted to help his team develop high-level results in strength, endurance, and specific technical skills.
So he sat down and inspired by the shepherds created the Bulgarian bag.
They were first used in wrestling and then spread across the sports world with coaches and trainers begging Coach Ivanov to create a new bag just for them and their team.
Suples is the company he creates for and they’re the first and foremost maker of Bulgarian bags in the world.
The Suples training system has been in place for athletes of all levels including some Olympic gold medal winners!
Their main focus continues to be on creating equipment and training regimens for wrestlers but they’ve branched out to create for other athletes and trainers as well!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Bulgarian bags any good?
They are flexible and durable which allows you to utilize them in any number of ways.
There is a wide range of different training regimens available that incorporate or focus on Bulgarian bags.
How heavy should a Bulgarian bag be?
This all depends on where you’re at in your training! If you’re just a beginner, it’s best to start with a lighter weight Bulgarian bag.
The farther along you are in your training, the higher the weight should be.
How do you use a Bulgarian bag?
They can be used as resistance for activities like squats or lunges or they can be utilized as free weights for presses or rows.
You can even use them as a stand-alone training tool to build up strength, endurance, and speed.
How do you make Bulgarian bags?
They’re typically leather, canvas, or polyurethane stitched together to form a tube or half circle.
This is then filled with weights either sand or clean bead fill. Handles are secured so it can be swung, held, or lifted with ease!
What are the weight classes for Bulgarian bags?
They are coordinated by color and start with yellow at 11 pounds, green at 17 pounds, red, at 26 pounds, and silver at 37 pounds.
How can I safely use a Bulgarian bag?
Find a quality training regimen that incorporates it into the routine!
If you’re adding it to your already planned and scheduled workout, start with a lower weight and work your way up.
Can a Bulgarian bag be used as a weight vest, kettle ball, or medicine ball?
Yes! Any exercises you’d do with a weight vest, kettle ball, or medicine ball can be accomplished with a Bulgarian bag.
Are sandbags and Bulgarian bags the same thing?
They are not the same. Bulgarian bags hold the internal weight steady so you can do some unique exercises with them.
Sandbags shift and move and can make it hard to get a solid grip.
Bulgarian bags come with a wrestling background and are great for your grip and focus on that as an exercise.
What is the Suples training?
This is a specific regimen designed by Coach Ivanov to build up the speed, endurance, and overall dexterity of his athletes.
Since Coach Ivanov originated the Bulgarian bag, he’s designed a specific routine to go along with the bag itself!
